This invention relates generally to data centers, and more particularly to efficient cooling of computing devices within a data center.
Heat removal is an important consideration in computer system and data center design. As the number of servers deployed in a data center increases, heat generated by electronic components in the servers during operation also increases. Because the reliability of servers used by the data center decreases if they operate at a high temperature over time, a portion of the data center's power is used for cooling electronics in the servers. However, as the number of servers included in a data center increases, a greater portion of the power consumed by the data center is used to cool electronics within the servers.
Conventionally, servers in a data center are individually equipped with cooling systems to dissipate heat produced during operation. Commonly, each server includes a fan for dissipating heat generated during operation. However, these internal fans generally consume about 10%-15% of the power used by the servers, and also produce heat during operation, limiting their effectiveness. Additionally, a room in the data center housing the servers may also be cooled using methods such as air conditioning, using additional power for cooling.